So said radical educationalist Paulo Freire back in 1987,
and it remains as true today as it was then. As a teacher,
I believe it is our responsibility as agents of societal
change to be politically engaged. Given the huge impact a
teacher can have on both individuals and communities, and
the highly politicised nature of the profession, to remain
neutral is to actively support the status quo, and thus is
a political act in and of itself.

I have started this blog as a place to explore current
issues in education and educational politics (with a
primarily British focus) in a more coherent way than
staff-room rants or clandestine union gatherings, and to
hopefully shed some slightly seditious light on the current
issues that affect British teachers. As a primary school
teacher and a passionate trade unionist, I hope to provide
an insider’s insight into the world of education, and to
deliberately and consciously do my Freirean duty of not
being neutral.

Feedback is very welcome via the comments sections, Twitter
(@mryeeles) or
email.

All views expressed herein are my own, and are
representative neither of my employer, nor of the National
Education Union.